74 replies to this topic

[Lee200]

Introduction:  As you know, I wrote the TrackSounds program that plays sounds as you drive along a track.  Someone suggested that the same technique could be used to play pace notes instead so I've written a new program that does that.  Pace Notes is much simpler than TrackSounds, but still relies upon a track specific .ini file to tell it which pace note sound to play and where to play it.  I've included .ini files for the Isle of Man, Nurburgring, and Targa tracks.

It took me several thousand hours of driving around these tracks and grading each corner to make these pace notes...NOT!    I wrote another program (not included) which automatically analyses each track to come up with its pace notes.

What Is It?:  Pace Notes is an external program that plays pace notes sounds as the player drives along the track.  It simulates having a copilot during a rally stage.  Pace Notes announces the length of straights and the corner direction, radius, and length.  It works during training, qualification, and race modes for all major mods, and all country .exes.

How Does It Work?:  Pace Notes hooks into the running GPL .exe and reads vital information such as where the player car is on the track.  It then plays sound files from the Pace Notes Sounds directory based on the settings in the Pace Notes .trk.ini files.  The GPL .exe does not have to be patched and doesn't even know that Pace Notes is active in the background.

Do You Have To Install Pace Notes?: No.  Just run Pace Notes from its own directory which can be anywhere on your hard drive.  The program includes two files and a directory:
1.  GPL Pace Notes.exe--program file.
2.  Track name trk.ini--contains the sound settings for a track.
3.  Pace Notes Sounds directory--contains all sounds used by the Pace Notes program.  This directory must be in the same directory as the GPL Pace Notes .exe.  Don't copy it to GPL's sound directory!

How Do You Use It?:
1.  Start the GPL Pace Notes program, select the desired track from the track list, then select the Start button.  Pace Notes will announce its activation and wait for GPL to start.
2.  Start any GPL .exe either directly or with GEM+ and then select the same track.  Pace Notes automatically recognizes all major mods.
3.  When you exit GPL, select the Stop button.  Pace Notes will announce its deactivation and close.

Other Notes:
1.  If the Pace Notes sounds or GPL engine sounds are too loud in relation to each other, adjust their relative volumes with GPL's Volume slider.
2.  On the rare chance that a sound continues to play after GPL and Pace Notes are shut down, restart Pace Notes and select the Stop button.
3.  Pace Notes sounds do not play for an AI car or during a replay.

The ReadMe tells how the straights and corners were graded.

Enjoy!

EDIT: There is a new Pace Notes program which supports the 1967 Sports Car Extra mod.  You can get it here:
https://gplmotorworks.gplworld.de/

Attached Files

•  GPL Pace Notes v1.0.zip   474.04K   149 downloads

Edited by ginetto, Jan 19 2019 - 09:14 AM.
added link to Lee's GPL Motorworks

[Cookie]

WOW!
Thanks Lee, just tested a Nürburgring lap, good guidance!

Great job!

Can we make the track.ini's ourselves?

[Robert Fleurke]

Interesting. Should help learning the longer tracks. I might be persuaded to try to finish the Targa now

Thanks Lee!

[ginetto]

Wow Lee!
Super cool driving at Targa as it was a Rally stage!
Just did a whole lap in a Maserati 250F

[gliebzeit]

BRAVO !!!  Lee, you've done it again.  What a remarkable program you have created for GPL.  Targa Florio is a real gas with your pace notes!  

Thank you.

[leon_90]

You always come up making possible the impossible

Incredible work Lee! I never had the guts, I must admit it, to learn the Targa Florio, even though I'm half sicilian Now I will be able to learn it step by step

Edited by leon_90, Oct 14 2017 - 11:15 AM.

[Millennium]

Very nice tool, thank you!

I've just tried it but it does not seem to work for me. I've tried it on all of the three tracks with the Sportcars Mod, the 1965 mod and the default 1967 cars. (Using Windows 7)

I do hear the activation voice, but nothing during the driving in game. Any idea what could be the problem? I would love to use it on Targa.

Edited by Millennium, Oct 14 2017 - 12:33 PM.

[gliebzeit]

Millennium said: "I've just tried it but it does not seem to work for me."

Did you move any of the files from the downloaded folder?  Make certain that you have file extensions turned on in explorer... so that you can see the complete filenames.

It should look like this:

Attached Files

•  notes.jpg   20.83K   78 downloads

Edited by gliebzeit, Oct 14 2017 - 02:21 PM.

[Lee200]

Good to hear that it's working OK for everyone except Millenium.  Greg's suggestion above is the same as I would have.  If the activation sound is heard, then the Pace Notes program is running.  This version does not have an automatic shut down when you exit GPL so it continues to run.  So the probable problem is that the program cannot find the track's .ini file or the program's sound directory is missing.

Cookie, yes you're welcome to make your own .ini file for any track.  Just follow the convention in the included trk.ini files where the sound file name is listed first, then a comma, then the distance from the start line where you want the sound to play.

BTW, since this program is primarily intended for the really long tracks such as the Ring and the Targa, you can download my GPL Track Start Manager program and/or my Targa Trainer program located here:

https://gplmotorworks.gplworld.de/

These programs should help you to learn the tracks more easily.  The Targa Trainer's voice is Ginetto's.  

Edited by Lee200, Oct 14 2017 - 03:22 PM.

[gliebzeit]

As Lee said: "... then the distance from the start line where you want the sound to play."

Use the 77I DLong In F10 View v.01 XML file from Lee's GPL Track Sounds program to give you a readout of the distance from the S/F line.
As you drive the track, jot down the places that you want the Pace Note audio to play with Distance-Turn-Radius, etc with pen and paper.
Then create the ini file and pick the sound file name that corresponds with your notes for each spot and the distance, to play the Race Notes.

Or we can wait for Lee to perfect his Auto Pace Notes Creation program.  

Edited by gliebzeit, Oct 14 2017 - 03:18 PM.

[Lee200]

gliebzeit, on Oct 14 2017 - 02:54 PM, said:

Or we can wait for Lee to perfect his Auto Pace Notes Creation program.  

Don't know if that will ever happen.  

This release is the best I've come up with after playing around with it for a month.  The actual sound player program turned out to be the easiest piece of the puzzle as it is based on my previous TrackSounds program.  But creating a program that would automate grading of the straights and corners was far more difficult than I'd imagined.  Each straight and corner had to be examined and graded for its direction, radius, and length.  Then track segments that had the same direction and grade and joined each other had to be combined.  Then the segment distance and appropriate sound name were assigned.  Finally, the distance at which a corner sound is played had be backed up so that the player hears it in time to slow down to make the corner.

One problem I ran into was that the tracks that really need pace notes have many straights and corners so short that the pace note can't be played before another one starts.  So that's why they don't have distances attached as that lengthened the sound time too much.

It's certainly not perfect, but seems to be a decent start.

[gliebzeit]

It's a really great piece of work, Lee.  Your attention to detail for the three tracks shows.

As I said to MECH: "So, some of us have been busy this summer."  

Edited by gliebzeit, Oct 14 2017 - 03:21 PM.

[Millennium]

gliebzeit, on Oct 14 2017 - 02:16 PM, said:

Millennium said: "I've just tried it but it does not seem to work for me."

Did you move any of the files from the downloaded folder?  Make certain that you have file extensions turned on in explorer... so that you can see the complete filenames.

It should look like this:

I've copy/pasted the entire 'GPL Pace Notes v1.0' folder to my hdd, all the files from your screenshot are in there.

*EDIT*

Solved it by running the program as administrator, it now works brilliantly!

Edited by Millennium, Oct 14 2017 - 03:36 PM.

[JonnyA]

Many thanks, Lee (and Ginetto!). As others have said, I may try to learn the Targa Florio now!

[Lee200]

Millennium, on Oct 14 2017 - 03:28 PM, said:

gliebzeit, on Oct 14 2017 - 02:16 PM, said:

Millennium said: "I've just tried it but it does not seem to work for me."

Did you move any of the files from the downloaded folder?  Make certain that you have file extensions turned on in explorer... so that you can see the complete filenames.

It should look like this:

I've copy/pasted the entire 'GPL Pace Notes v1.0' folder to my hdd, all the files from your screenshot are in there.

*EDIT*

Solved it by running the program as administrator, it now works brilliantly!

Great!  

Edited by Lee200, Oct 14 2017 - 05:07 PM.

[gregc]

Lee,
Genius stuff - congratulations and many thanks.

[webfoot]

Wow.  Lee this is (yet another) fantastic piece of work.  I bet some idiot feels guilty now for seeing all the work you have put in following their original comment. All your work is very much appreciated and really builds further the GPL experience.  

For your information, this program worked perfectly for me.  It did NOT have the problem I got with TrackSounds where that program deactivated as soon as I started GPL.exe.   As mentioned previously, I work around that issue by delaying the start of TrackSounds until after GPL has properly started.

Coincidentally I have just got back from holiday in Sicily.  Unfortunately I only managed to drive about two thirds of the Piccolo Madonie due to road closures (between Cerda and Scillato).  Some parts I did drive had very bad ground subsidence.  Just means I will have to go back to that wonderful island someday.

thanks again
Webfoot

[Alter]

Great idea and great execution!
Thank you very much Lee!
Alter

[Robert Fleurke]

I can activate it, but I don't hear the voice in game. Not sure what i'm doing wrong. I do not use other sound patches/programs by Lee.

[John Woods]

webfoot, on Oct 15 2017 - 03:04 AM, said:

Wow.  Lee this is (yet another) fantastic piece of work.  I bet some idiot feels guilty now for seeing all the work you have put in following their original comment.

Especially since in the meantime after posting their outstanding idea decided to truck off and vacation in Sicily.

Always amazed that Grand Prix Legends continues to nurture innovation and we are all so fortunate to have the support of brilliant artists and editors who find a way to make it happen.

Thanks Lee, now maybe I can stay focused and won't get so lost on the second half of Targa.
Big arm wave hat tip to Ginetto also for pace note voice on these very long twisty tracks.

Was thinking things were a little too quiet lately.
Now I know why.

Edited by John Woods, Oct 15 2017 - 07:50 AM.